Indiana High School Linebacker Prospect Goes Viral For Unique Name

A young man in Indiana had his name plastered all over the internet over the weekend, and many people wouldn't be comfortable trying to read it aloud.

Lawrenceburg High School linebacker Noah Knigga announced an upcoming visit to West Virginia on X and quickly became the topic of conversation during a busy sports weekend to start the new year.

Knigga is a 3-start prospect in the 2025 class, ranked as the No. 8 player in the state of Indiana and No. 59 linebacker prospect in the country, according to On3. He's clearly good enough to play at the Division-1 level, having been recruited by Indiana, Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan as well as the most high-profile team to give him a look, West Virginia. It's possible that list will grow as Knigga has taken the attention of the internet.

Knigga is 6-foot-2, 210lbs and had 14 sacks in his high school football career. He was named to the Indiana Junior All-State team at the 3A level in 2023 despite missing six games due to injury.

The junior athlete took the attention in stride, having an Instagram Live chat with former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III and being the topic for discussion on The Pat McAfee Show.

Get our free mobile app

In the midst of the chaos, Knigga showed he's more than just a football player, or a meme, winning the MVP of the Rivertown Classic basketball tournament alongside his twin sister, Natalie.

Of course, the pronunciation of Noah's last name is the biggest aspect of his first 15 minutes of fame. Apparently, it's pronounced exactly how you think it is.